Description
Family Melastomataceae
Herbs, shrubs
, or trees
(to 20 m
tall), erect
, climbing
, or rarely epiphytic. Stipules lacking. Leaves simple
, commonly opposite and decussate with one of a pair slightly smaller than other, rarely verticillate
or alternate by abortion
of one of a pair, usually 1-4(or 5) secondary veins on each side of midvein
, originating at or near base
and anastomosing apically, tertiary veins numerous, parallel, and connecting secondary veins and midvein but in Memecylon secondary veins pinnate and tertiary veins reticulate
. Inflorescences cymose
, umbellate
, corymbose
, in paniculate
clusters
, or a cincinnus, rarely flowers single, fascicled, or born on a spike; bracts sometimes conspicuous
and persistent
. Flowers bisexual
, actinomorphic
but androecium often slightly zygomorphic, usually (3 or) 4- or 5(or 6) -merous, perianth biseriate
, perigynous; bracteoles opposite, usually caducous
. Hypanthium funnel-shaped, campanulate
, cyathiform
, or urceolate
. Calyx lobes
(3-) 5(or 6), valvate
(rarely connate
, but not in Chinese species) . Petals (3-) 5(or 6), equal to number of sepals, distinct
, imbricate. Stamens usually twice as many as petals and in 2 whorls, rarely as many as petals by loss of 1 whorl, isomorphic
or dimorphic
; filaments
distinct, often geniculate
, inflexed
in bud; anthers
typically 2-celled, introrse
, basifixed
, dehiscent
by 1 or 2 apical pores
or by short longitudinal
slits (Astronia, Memecylon) ; connective
often variously appendaged. Pistil and style 1; stigma minute, capitate or truncate
. Ovary commonly inferior or semi-inferior, locules usually (3 or) 4 or 5(or 6) with numerous
anatropous ovules
, rarely 1-loculed and ovules ca.
9 (Memecylon) ; placentation axillary
, parietal
(Astronia and, outside China, Pternandra Jack
), or free
central (Memecylon) . Fruit a dry or fleshy
capsule or a berry, loculicidally dehiscent or indehiscent. Seeds (when 3-6-loculed) usually small, curved
through half a circle (cochleate) or wedge-shaped (cuneate), in Memecylon seeds large and ovoid
; endosperm absent.
Between 156 and 166 genera (150-160 in Melastomataceae sensu stricto
and six in Memecylaceae here considered part of Melastomataceae) and ca. 4500 species (ca. 4050 in Melastomataceae sensu stricto and 450 in Memecylaceae [Olisbeoideae if considered a subfamily
of Melastomataceae]) : primarily in tropical
and subtropical
regions; 21 genera (five endemic) and 114 species (72 endemic) in China.
Chinese genera of economic value include Osbeckia (medicine) and Melastoma (wild fruit and ornamental
flowers) .[1]
Habitat
Typically found at an altitude of 0 to 2,524 meters (0 to 8,281 feet).[2]
Taxonomy
- Domain:
Eukaryota
(
)
- Whittaker & Margulis,1978
- eukaryotes
- Kingdom:
Plantae
(
)
- Haeckel, 1866
- Plants
- Subkingdom:
Viridaeplantae
(
)
- Cavalier-Smith, 1981
- Phylum:
Tracheophyta
(
)
- Sinnott, 1935 Ex Cavalier-Smith, 1998
- Vascular Plants
- Subphylum:
Euphyllophytina
(
)
- Infraphylum:
Radiatopses
(
)
- Kenrick & Crane, 1997
- Class:
Magnoliopsida
(
)
- Brongniart, 1843
- Dicotyledons
- Subclass:
Rosidae
(
)
- Takhtajan, 1967
- Superorder:
Myrtanae
(
)
- Takhtajan, 1967
- Order:
Myrtales
(
)
- Reichenbach, 1828
- Suborder:
Lythrineae
(
)
- Family:
Melastomataceae
(
)
- A.l. De Jussieu, 1789, Nom. Cons.
- Melastome Family
- Genus:
Aciotis
(
)
- Specific epithet:
caulialata
- Triana
- Botanical name: - Aciotis caulialata (Ruiz & Pav.) Triana
- Specific epithet:
caulialata
- Triana
- Genus:
Aciotis
(
- Family:
Melastomataceae
(
- Suborder:
Lythrineae
(
- Order:
Myrtales
(
- Superorder:
Myrtanae
(
- Subclass:
Rosidae
(
- Class:
Magnoliopsida
(
- Infraphylum:
Radiatopses
(
- Subphylum:
Euphyllophytina
(
- Phylum:
Tracheophyta
(
- Subkingdom:
Viridaeplantae
(
- Kingdom:
Plantae
(
Notes
Publishing author
: Triana Publication
: Trans. Linn. Soc. xxviii. (1871) 52.Place of publication: Trans. Linn. Soc. London 28:52. 1871
Name
verified on 29-Mar-2004 by ARS Systematic Botanists. Last updated: 29-Mar-2004
Similar Species
Members of the genus Aciotis
ZipcodeZoo has pages for 45 species, subspecies, varieties, forms, and cultivars in this genus:
A. acuminifolia · A. acutiflora · A. acutifolia · A. aequatorialis · A. alata · A. amazonica · A. annua · A. anomala · A. aquatica · A. aristata · A. aristellata · A. asplundii · A. brachybotria · A. brachybotrya · A. caulialata · A. circaeifolia · A. circaeifolia var. major · A. cordata · A. dichotoma · A. discolor · A. dysophylla · A. ferreirana · A. ferruginea · A. fragilis · A. herbacea · A. indecora · A. latifolia · A. laxa · A. levyana · A. longifolia · A. martiana · A. martinicensis · A. olivieriana · A. ornata · A. paludosa · A. pendulifolia · A. polystachya · A. purpurascens · A. rostellata · A. rubricaulis · A. sileniflora · A. spiritusanctensis · A. trinitensis · A. viscida · A. viscosa
More Info
- Search for Pictures: images.google.com
- Search for Scholarly Articles: Google Scholar
- Search using Scientific Name and Vernacular Names: All the Web | AltaVista Canada | AltaVista | Excite | Google | HotBot | Lycos
- Search using Specialized Databases: GenBank | Medline | Scirus | CISTI/CAL | Agricola Periodicals | Agricola Books
Further Reading
- Freire-Fierro, A. 2002. Monograph of Aciotis (Melastomataceae). Syst. Bot. Monogr. 62:60.
- Chen Cheih. 1984. Melastomataceae. In: Chen Cheih, ed., Fl. Reipubl. Popularis Sin. 53(1): 135-293.
Notes
Contributors
- Global Biodiversity Information Facility. Accessed March 14, 2008. http://www.gbif.org Mediated distribution data from 9 providers.
- The International Plant Names Index. Accessed Jan 19, 2007.
- USDA, ARS, National Genetic Resources Program. Germplasm Resources Information Network - (GRIN) [Online Database]. National Germplasm Resources Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland. URL (May 04, 2008)
Data Sources
Accessed through GBIF Data Portal March 14, 2008:
- Biologiezentrum der Oberoesterreichischen Landesmuseen: Biologiezentrum Linz
- Botanical Research Institute of Texas: Andes to Amazon Biodiversity Program
- Herbarium of the University of Aarhus: The AAU Herbarium Database
- Herbier de la Guyane
- Instituto Nacional de Biodiversidad (Costa Rica): Biodiversidad de Costa Rica
- Missouri Botanical Garden
- University of Vienna, Institute for Botany - Herbarium WU: Herbarium WU
Identifiers
- Biodiversity Heritage Library NamebankID: 3467322
- Global Biodiversity Information Facility Taxonkey: 15609779
- Globally Unique Identifier: urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:565967-1
- GRIN Nomen Number: 1319
- International Plant Names Index (IPNI) ID: 565967-1
- Zipcode Zoo Species Identifier: 1083400
Footnotes
- Jie Chen & Susanne S. Renner "Melastomataceae". in Flora of China Vol. 13 Page 360. Published by Science Press (Beijing) and Missouri Botanical Garden Press. Online at EFloras.org. [back]
- Mean = 460.620 meters (1,511.220 feet), Standard Deviation = 715.840 based on 143 observations. Altitude information for each observation from British Oceanographic Data Centre. [back]
